S.O.S. Staff

Monday, November 5, 2012

"Cure Violence" Success Noted by the NBA!

Cure Violence in Chicago has been hard at work trying to reduce gun violence in their neighborhood. Recently, their success with a basketball tournament initiative was written up on a sports-news blog called Hang Time, and profiled in a video and article by NBA.com! We've included the write-up of the event in Hang Time below; read it to learn about the kind of great work Cure Violence is dong around the country. S.O.S. Crown Heights is proud to be a replication of the Cure Violence program.

"CHICAGO – South Side, West Side, guns around the town…

OK, it’s nothing to sing about. Gun
violence is real. The gang activity behind it has triggered an epidemic of
shootings and homicides in Chicago in 2012. With two months to spare, more
people had been killed in Chicago this year than in all of 2011 (435).

But
a glimmer of good news: The murder rate slowed in October. In fact, the
Associated Press reported, there were fewer murders last month than in all but
one October since 1982.

Chicago
mayor Rahm Emanuel praised police and an emphasis on gang-busting. Tio
Hardiman, director of CeaseFire Illinois, thinks basketball might have had a
little to do with it, too.

Hardiman
was one of the city activists involved with the Peace Tournament Sept. 22 at
St. Sabina Church in the Auburn-Gresham community on Chicago’s South Side.
Co-hosted by NBA legendIsiah Thomas and Father Michael Pfleger, the day-long
event brought together rival gang members from the city’s meanest streets for
dialogue and hoops.

The
gym was packed, with an unbilled appearance by Bulls star Derrick Rose. Players
and coaches took part in discussions about violence and grievances before and
after the games, mingling with NBA players such as Quentin Richardson, Joakim
Noah and Taj Gibson. Then they were sent back to their neighborhoods, urged to
share a message of peace.

As
Thomas said that day: “By getting them to come together and play a sport, they
might come to know each other. We believe it’s hard to kill someone if you get
to know him.”

Follow-through
always was going to be part of the program, and Hardiman believes the Peace
Tournament has produced results. “Seven of those fellows got jobs as a result
of that day,” Hardiman said Thursday, citing the community and business leaders
who supported the event. “Shootings have been reduced, too.”

Even
if that’s just an elusive coincidence, it’s one worth pursuing. Thomas will be
back for a second event, this time on the West Side close to where the former
Detroit Piston and Naismith Hall of Famer grew up. The Basketball Tournament
for Peace will be held Saturday, Nov. 17, at Christ the King Jesuit School at
5088 W. Jackson."

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Program Overview

Outreach Workers

S.O.S. outreach workers engage with those who are most likely to shoot or be shot. Our goal is to stop gun violence before it happens, and prevent retaliatory acts when it does.

Community Mobilization

S.O.S. Crown Heights works with a wide range of community partners; organizing BBQs, concerts, sporting events, rallies, and other events intended to strengthen our community and bring an end to gun violence

Crown Heights Mediation Center

S.O.S. is a project of the Crown Heights Mediation Center. Click on the image to go to the CHCMC blog or call 718-773-6886 for more information.

Center for Court Innovation

The Crown Heights Community Mediaiton Center is a project of the Center for Court Innovation